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The Library is Looking For

The following items are needed to enhance collections throughout the University Library. You can purchase one or more items by selecting the “Make a Gift” button. Please specify the specific item(s) under “Special Instructions” when you make your gift online. Or you can call 217-333-5682 to make your gift.

United States in North America for the Map Library

NEW! An intriguing look at a young America, including . . . Franklinia and Morgania? This extremely rare gem, published in the wake of the Revolutionary War, indicates two settlements that never made it to actual statehood—Franklinia (yes, named after the Founding Father), situated in what is now eastern Tennessee, and the failed Morgania Colony, located in present-day Missouri. Drawn by English cartographer Sir Richard Phillips to illustrate Mavor’s History of the Discovery and Settlement . . . of North and South America, the item was published in London in 1809 and is sought by the Map Library.

Geological Map of the Middle and Western States for the Map Library

NEW! Published in 1843 in James Hall’s Geology of New York, this item beautifully illustrates an area stretching from southern Canada to Kentucky, and from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean. The first to apply the “New York System” of geology—in which paleontological analysis helps determine geological layers—the landmark map uses various colors to distinguish 23 different strata and formations. Sought by the Map Library, the piece also would complement the collection of geology works held by The Rare Books & Manuscript Library.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone for the Media Commons

This drone’s built-in technology lets users capture HD footage and wide-angle pictures from aerial and straight-on views—all from a safe distance on the ground. Where does this drone hope to land? In the Media Commons of the Undergraduate Library.

Cintiq Pro Creative Pen Display for the Media Commons

This device would augment the Media Commons’ trove of emerging technology items. If you are a student using software like CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other 3D and drawing software, this device allows you to draw directly on the screen with extreme precision. Digital projects result in 4K resolution with 98 percent color accuracy—ensuring that creations appear just as vibrant off-screen as they do on-screen.

Insta360 Camera with 512GB SD Card for the Media Commons

“Versatility” is the key word here, as this nifty camera—whether handheld or mounted—captures 360-degree HD video and pictures of its surroundings. As part of the loanable technology program at the Undergraduate Library’s Media Commons, this modern-age “Brownie” allows users to edit, focus on, or stabilize video—all conveniently within the use of the Insta360 app.

This is an example of how American propaganda—directed at Americans—depicted Germany’s war aims and a possible German empire. The poster—with propagandic maps in both German and English—promotes the purchase of Liberty Bonds and reveals how those at home were solicited to join the war effort. The unusual perspective would augment the Map Library’s collection of World War I-era maps and graphics.

Two Four-person Workstations with Power for the Music and Performing Arts Library

These will bring the Music and Performing Arts Library up to date. The new items would replace the tired furnishings of 1974, allowing students to charge their devices and avail themselves of ample space to spread out and study.

Task Chairs for the Music and Performing Arts Library

These will accompany new workstations for the Music and Performing Arts Library. Although the arts may transport people beyond the moment, uncomfortable seating may return them to reality sooner than desired. Please help! The Library seeks eight chairs at $300 apiece.

Map of concentration camps in Soviet Russia (ca. 1940s) for the Map Library

This is the first such depiction from the Cold War era detailing locations of Soviet gulags. Edged with images of camp documents, industries, and activities, the item would augment the holdings of the Map Library; the Library also owns two books— Sprawiedliwość Sowiecka and La Justice Sovietique—which the map originally accompanied.

Phillips Radio: The World of Entertainment (1940s) for the Map Library

This is a shortwave radio map showing a world with no borders. Instead, the representation uses entertainment as a unifying theme and includes illustrations of ballet, theater, music, sports, and indigenous dance. The extensively decorated piece, requested by the Map Library, also locates radio stations with call sign and frequency.

Phillips Radio (ca. 1935) for the Map Library

This is a pictorial map showing activities and cultures from early in the history of popular shortwave radio use. Offering at times a stereotypical look into how Europeans and Americans viewed non-Europeans prior to World War II, the document also lists radio stations with their call sign and frequency. This item is sought by the Map Library.

Atlas of the British Empire (1928) for the Map Library

This was reproduced from the original made for Her Majesty Queen Mary’s Doll’s House. Indulge your secret Anglophile with this remarkable item! As part of the dollhouse library that holds 200 miniaturized books of actual publications, the atlas’s maps—though minuscule—provide accurate representations of the British Empire (and the rest of the world). Built between 1921 and 1924, the dollhouse is an exquisite example of the finest British craftsmanship of the time; the atlas would complement the Map Library’s collection of maps of empire, as well as the assemblage of miniature books in The Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Collection of Out-of-Print Indian Comics for the International and Area Studies Library

This collection is being offered for sale by a collector in Bengaluru, India. The collection includes more than 500 individual issues from publishers such as Rani Comics and Diamond comics and includes comics in Tamil, Hindi, and English. Indian comics are undercollected by libraries around the world and the University of Illinois collection provides unique access to and preservation of these important components of India’s popular cultural history. Older comics are becoming increasingly hard to find and more expensive and donor support is critical to obtain these types of collections when they become available.

German Jigsaw (1944) for the Map Library

This is a postwar look at how a defeated Germany might be divided. An enlarged version of a map originally issued in a 1944 issue of Time magazine, the “puzzle”—held by only three other libraries—would add to the Map Library’s trove of World War II maps. A curious aspect of its vision is that its predictions do not indicate Soviet participation—perhaps because Time publisher Henry Luce was a staunch anti-Communist.

“Sexually Transmitted Disease: An Encyclopedia of Diseases, Prevention, Treatment, and Issues” for the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library

The 2-volume set features an alphabetical list of the 230-plus entries, a guide to related topics, and a timeline of STDs. Articles are signed by qualified experts and include a bibliography of suggested further readings. Case studies, illustrations, and informative insets and tables support the text.

Rotating Exhibit(s) for the Library Exhibitions Committee

Sponsor a rotating exhibit within the Marshall Gallery and the north-south corridor of the Main Library highlighting the Library’s rich and vast collections for one month. Support would cover printing for cases, as well as supply refurbishment in order to ensure that exhibitors can continue to have the preservation-grade materials on hand to safely display collections materials. Interested Library Friends may support exhibits programming for one month…or several!

Classic Video Game Magazines and Related Periodicals for the Undergraduate Library

As part of its vintage gaming archive, these materials will help augment our collection of vintage games, and serve as core sources for campus researchers investigating historical aspects of this important pop culture phenomenon. The Library has identified the following titles as being of interest to local researchers:

Shelving End Panels for the University High School Library

Recently reenergized by a cosmetic freshening (including the installation of former Grainger Engineering Library shelving), the Uni High Library–a well-loved space that reflects the unique character of the school and its students–is looking for shelving end panels. These funds would cover the cost of both cutting and priming the plywood, as well as painting supplies for Uni students to then transform the panels into works of art, providing a vehicle for students’ creative expression and further enhancing the distinct nature of this vibrant campus library.

Gifts to this fund support student-related library activities that reduce Finals Week stress. The Communications Library is a very popular place during Finals Week and a great place to help them when their stress is greatest. The Library provides healthy snacks and a sympathetic ear for an environment that really makes a difference.

Scanning of Historical Annual Reports for the Library and Information Science Virtual Library

To fund the hiring of a graduate student to take on a special project: scanning the Library’s significant collection of historical public library annual reports. This student would work through the copyright permissions for the post-1923 materials. Scanning will allow these items to be more widely accessible and findable (due to enhanced cataloging taking place at the same time). In addition, the print materials will be stored at the Oak Street Library Facility where they will be better preserved.

Communications Library Tech Fund for the Communications Library

Gifts to this fund help the Communications Library provide much-needed technology support for students. Library users own cell phones, laptops, music players, and more that require regular charging and security. This Fund enables the purchase of equipment like charging stations, cables, and secure lockers that make students’ lives easier.

This paid internship is for an undergraduate student to put their public relations classroom skills to use while promoting the Communications Library. The student manages this library’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, creates content for digital signage, and creates handouts and brochures for New Student Week events and library tours in an effort to help students learn about the Communications Library.

“Don Balon” for the International and Area Studies Library

Don Balón was a prominent sport magazine published in Chile during the 1990s. Originally published in Spain, the magazine currently has online editions throughout Latin America and has become a hallmark of Ibero-American soccer. The Library is interested in acquiring a collection of 477 issues from its founding in 1992 to 2000. This time period is particularly important for Chile as it covers their re-democratization process after August Pinochet’s dictatorship. No other sport magazine existed in Chile during this entire period, making Don Balón a unique source to study Chilean soccer. The acquisition of Don Balón would be the first Chilean sport magazine in a growing and unique Latin American and Caribbean Sport Collection.

Charging Station/Locker for the Communications Library

To purchase a secure charging station/locker to revitalize devices carried by tech-savvy users. While current students are positively aglow with electric possibility, they do need a boost now and then. “Our students are immersed in the greatest flood of information any generation has ever experienced,” says Head Librarian Lisa Romero, who adds that the library and its staff are “all about service. We try to keep up with all our students’ needs. Every student has mobile devices and laptops that need to be recharged. Making it easier for students to rely on technology is one way the library can contribute to the student experience. The charging station/locker enables us to meet a very real need.”

Digitizing “The Alumni Quarterly and Fortnightly News” for the University Archives

The Alumni Quarterly and Fortnightly News was the earliest means of communication of the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Since 1907—long before the Archives was formally established in 1963—the publication has recorded campus and alumni news, very nearly from the start of the university. Called an “amazing resource” by Archivist Ellen Swain, the news vehicle—presently known as Illinois Alumni magazine—has morphed through various iterations and provides close, historical coverage found in few other sources. Funding would go toward hiring of personnel to digitize materials and, eventually, software to search across all issues.

Transfer and Digitize Photographs for the University Archives

To transfer and digitize thousands of hard-copy photographs painstakingly accumulated by the University of Illinois Alumni Association communications department in its 100+ years of coverage of campus, students, and alumni. Containing items not previously seen by Library staff, the collection will find a new home in the Archives, where it will be scanned and tagged for use by students, researchers, and the public. Funding would support additional personnel to digitize materials, create records, and organize metadata.